Guardian Home

[doodleheaven]

Hi Maureen!

Thanks for the info. I did think about a male doodle but feel our family would do better with hopefully a shorter committment. I absolutely have thought about a dog in 'heat' in my house. Not exactly what I prefer but I think we can put up with it. I have several friends with intact female dogs who have given me the lowdown on the bleeding, needing to keep the dog protected during these times etc. I feel we can do this as long as I am prepared for it which is why I ask so many questions. My breeder has also prepared me for this, she does state her own dogs haven't bled too much but that is unpredictable and she has had other dogs in her home who do make a bit more mess then her own. So I do know these are some of the issues we will have to be prepared for. I have a husband and two little boys, so in the end I feel it would be nice to have another girl around to PMS with!!

That being said, I have inquired at the danegang rescue (thank you to previous poster!) and am waiting to see what details they can give me. A bit more risky but I would love to rehome a dog if I could be somewhat assured about temperment etc. Who knows, maybe I will end up doing both, especially since I do feel a committment to the breeder for guardianship now, even though we haven't met in person - more a verbal committment so far. I also love the idea of supporting a guardianship program and keeping those pups out of puppy mill situations!

Thanks again Maureen - you've been a great help so far! Anything else you can think of - greatly appreciated!

lily

[Jac]

Ditto to what Maureen said...as a breeder, I would contract to have the dog returned to me. I would allow the guardian to buy a puppy at a lower price for the care they gave, however.
But breeding dogs are worth much more than pet puppies and so any breeder would be into the costs a lot...AMGs generally are $18,000 to $30,000 and up! Plus the breeder pays for testing hips, eyes, etc...so unless the pup fails testing somehow, the breeder would not allow you to buy at a pet price.
My guardians were surprised by the mess of heat cycles too...and my males only mark when puppies are around and they are letting everyone know they are protecting them. So, I can't imagine marking being a huge problem...although it can be, depending on the dog and the circumstances.
True, a rescue is a gamble, but even tested dogs can produce affected offspring...but you wonder why the animal is in a shelter...is it a personality issue, temperament, training, or just bad luck....either way, I am in favor of rescuing too...but plan to train.
As an example, Gene has adopted two beautiful dogs...but he has had his challenges...but he adores them...we all do!

[Maureen]

I am confused about this Great Dane organization having 3 litters of Doodles plus adults to place? $300-350 each?

Is that a typical 'rescue' price?